Abai Center
“You are a little brick in the wall of the world.
Find your place in it!”
Publications
Academic articles
The Mongols and the Modern International Order: An Interview with Ayşe Zarakol
Ayşe Zarakol’s book Before the West: The Rise and Fall of Eastern World Orders challenges our understanding of the history of international relations and makes sense of
Genghis Khan, Kok-Par and Other Stories of the Great Steppe by Said Atabekov
“I wish to see kok-par players – “Steppe Wolves” from Central Asia on the world’s best catwalks. They are not the refined Europeans, just ordinary guys from
Decorative and Funerary Art of Eurasia. An interview with Petya Andreeva
The nomadic people of Eurasia left behind rich treasures that rival those of sophisticated settled societies. Many of these precious items, which can be seen
The Death and Resurrection of the Aral Sea
The Aral Sea catastrophe has been known since the late 1980s as one of the largest environmental disasters in the world. Once the fourth-largest lake
Life and Work of the First Kazakh Artist, Abilkhan Kasteyev
Abilkhan Kasteyev (1904-1972), a Kazakh artist who was born at the dawn of the twentieth century, became the founder of visual arts in Soviet Kazakhstan.
Paul Labbe and His Unique Family Portraits of the Kazakh Steppe
Since at least the time of Marco Polo, the Kazakh steppes have attracted many visitors from the West: travelers, diplomats, traders, and researchers. Their notes,
Amanat: Women’s Writing from Kazakhstan
This July, Gaudy Boy will publish an English-language anthology of Kazakhstani women’s writing entitled Amanat. The anthology brings together short stories and essays by 13 women
“Eternal Values in the Work of the Great Abai”: An Essay Contest among the Kazakh Students
The Abai Center in Washington, D.C., supports Kazakh culture and cultural studies and aims to increases the American people’s awareness of—and interest in—various aspects of
Podcast
The Stories of the Modern Kazakh Prose
Retelling selected stories of 20th century Kazakh Literature
“Death of a Borzoi” by Mukhtar Magauin
Mukhtar Magauin is a Kazakh writer, publicist, translator, and researcher of Kazakh folklore. In 1997, he received an international award from the Foundation of Artists
“The Last Madamar” by Anuar Alimzhanov
Anuar Alimzhanov was born on May 2, 1930, in the village of Karlygash in Taldykorgan region. From 1963 to 1967, he worked as editor-in-chief of
The Day the World Collapsed by Rollan Seisenbayev
Rollan Seisenbayev, born October 11, 1946, in Semipalatinsk, is a prominent contemporary Kazakh writer, playwright, and translator. His novels and short stories have been published
White Aruana by Satimzhan Sanbayev
Satimzhan Sanbayev is a Kazakh writer, film actor, and screenwriter. He won the Prize of the Union of Writers of the USSR in 1981 for
Unfortunate Jamal by Myrzhakyp Dulatov
Myrzhakyp Dulatov was born on November 25, 1885. He lost his parents early. Dulatov’s political creed was clearly articulated when, in 1909, he published his
Snow Girl by Oralkhan Bokeev
Oralkhan Bokeev (September 28, 1943 – May 17, 1993) was a Kazakh writer, playwright, and journalist. A bright and sensitive writer, a master wordsmith, Bokeev
Podcast
The Sounds of the Great Steppe
Listen to the latest episodes
Through Artists' Eyes
Abai Kunanbaiuly is one of the most inspiring figures in Kazakh art. Classic paintings, rare photos, and modern pop images depicting Abai transcend generations and social constructs. Every artist sees him differently, from their own soul, leading to particular representations and unique visuals.
Interviews
Abai Center Series
Western Travellers
Kazakhstan & Central Asia: Through the Eyes of Western Travelers
The Great Steppe has long attracted the intrepid and curious adventurers from the West. The Abai Center’s collection of their writings—travelogues, academic field work, diplomatic dispatches, and personal journals—are among the earliest observations of Turkic and nomad culture and customs to be published at large scale.
In the Kirghiz Steppes by J.W. Wardell
Courtesy of Personal Library of Former Ambassador of Kazakhstan to the United States of America H.E. Erzhan Kazykhanov Avid readers of the Abai Center are
A Traveller’s Companion to Central Asia by Kathleen Hopkirk
Courtesy of Personal Library of Former Ambassador of Kazakhstan to the United States of America H.E. Erzhan Kazykhanov Kathleen Hopkirk’s portrayals of Kazakhstan and the
Turkestan Reunion by Eleanor Holgate Lattimore
Courtesy of Personal Library of Former Ambassador of Kazakhstan to the United States of America H.E. Erzhan Kazykhanov Eleanor Holgate Lattimore was born in Evanston,
Events
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